Apparatus for controlling electric-light systems.



A. W. K NUT SON.

APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING ELEGTRIG LIGHT SXSTBMS.

APPLIOATION PIE-E1) MAR. 21, 1910.

1,058,986, Patented Apr.15,1913.

kHz-N55555: I Evita-r03 -w MM 1;

UNITED STATES PATENT UFFICE.

- ALFRED W. KNUTSON, 0F GALESBUBG, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 0F UHF-FOURTH TO FRANK M. GONNOLLY AND ONE-FOIRFJH TO GEORGE SA'NDERSONQ, 0F QALES- aime,- ILLINOIS.

arrana'rus non CONTROLLING ELEC'IBiC-LIGHT SYSTEMS:

To all whom it may concern Be it known'that, I, LFRED W. Kuu'rson, a citizen of the Unite States, and a resident of Galesburg, in the county of Knox and State of Illinois,.have invented a new and useful Apparatus for Controlling Electrio-Light Systems', of which the following is a specification.

The invention has relation to systems in whichlit is desirable for various and oh vious" purposes, to cut'out'or shut off aportion of the lamps in a circuit, and while it pertainsand is applicable to either series or multiple systems, and to systems other than street lightin it is purposed primarily for that style 0 lightinlg arrangement com- -inonl termedthe" boulevard system, in

whic clusters of lamps are maintained in spaced groups. In the use of this system it is generally desirable to cut out a portion of the .lights about the middle of the night,

leavin a single lamp of each cluster alight.

In or er to cut out said lamps it has heretofore been necessary for some person, usually a patrolman, to throw a switch at each clusterfsupport or pole. It will be obvious that this'was but aniridifiereht expedient, inasconstructed, two. wires were required in semuch as the clusters being some distance apart, and there frequently being a large number thereof, each of-which required a separate actuation, simultaneous shuttin out of "the lights wasnot attained, but suc operations weredrawn out to an extended period of time, and the object being primarily to save expense said object was to a greatextent nullified, Again, as heretofore ries lighting while three .were essential in a multiple-system. v

It is an object of, my invention to provide a means for eittting out apredetermined portion. of the lamps in" a circuit, (leaving others burning) simultaneously andffrom a single point. It is a further object to accomplish this operation by means actuated by the current.

i It is also an ob'ect to accomplish the first recited object wit out resultant sparking or flashing and resultant injury to the parts.

is one of the most important objects to change the path of the current while no current is flowing, thus positively eliminating all possible danger of s" arking or flashing. It is a still-further ob iact to save approxi- Patented Apr. 15,1913.

mate'ly one-half the wire heretofore used in series and one-third of that employed in multiplesystems. 1

Other objects will be in part obviousand in part pointed out.

p In orderthat my invention may be full understood and successfully carried into e feet I have in the accompanying drawings illustrated .a preferred means embodying 1t and for carrying it out.

In said drawings :-Figure 1 is a plan view, showing a direct constant current series system, aportion of the lamps shown as lighted and another portion out; Fig. 2, a modification, showing a fragment of an alternating constant current series system; Fig. 3, a plan, showing a portion of the commutator; Fig. 4, an inverted plan of the otherportion of the commutator; Fig. 5, an edge elevation of the parts shown at Fig.4; and Fig. 6, a detail, showing the connections, in side elevat ion, between the solenoid core and the switch member.

The same reference character refers to the same partin the different figures of the f drawing;

1 denotes a direct constant current generator to which is connected the series circuit wire, which, for the purposes hereof, I shall designate as being composed of two parts, 2 and 3, the former connected to a solenoid or magnet coil 29 comprising a plurality of convolutions of wire of. suitable size connected in the circuit to a series system. The

wire 2' leads from the solenoid to a contact connection with the segment 4 by inter-i166.

posed means 7, see Figs. 3 and 4. For the purposes of this specification I shall term this the main circuit when connected by the contact wheel presentlydescribed. A wire extending from the union 6, takinginthe cluster a and running thence to the contact segment-4, comprises a loop which I shall term the auxiliary circuit.

To the solenoid core 8 is fixed a rod or plunger 9 which passes through a guide .10

. of a fiber bell-crank lever 16 by means'of a pivotscrew 17, the threads "0f" Whl0h engage those of a fiber plate 18 fixed on any suitable backing or base 19. To the'under side of the weight arm 16* of said lever is pivoted a pawl 20 actuated by a bent spring 21 fixed at one end by a rivet-screw 21 to and near the extremity of the same leverarm, its free end ture in said pawl.

22 denotes a ratchet-wheel of fiber, intothe lower face of which is embedded a metallic star-wheel 23, the contact-spokes 23 of which are timed with relation to the ratchets 24.- of the wheel 22, preferably in the ratio-of 2 to 1.

A washer 25 having a collar or hub 26,. the latter seated in the centrally disposed aperture in the lever, supports one end of an expansion spring 27 the other end of which takes against and resists the head of the pivot-screw or screw bolt 17 which passes also through the centrally disposed aperture in the wheels 22 and 23.

Any other insulating material than fiber passed through an apermay be substituted for those parts so herein designated.

Tn Fig.2 I have shown an alternating current motor 4-0, wires 41. 41 connecting it with a switch 42, a transformer 35, and the wires 2 and lamps (Z hereinbefore described. The illustration is for the purpose of showing the adaptation of my improvements to 'an alternatin; system.

Yarious changes may be made in the mechanical construction and arrangement without departing materially from the gen eral spirit. and scope of the invention.

Now suppose the parts to be in the relative positions shown in Fig. 1. The operator by imparting movement in one direction to the hand lever of the field switch 30 would shut. off the current, thus demagnetizing or deenergizing the coils 8, permitting the core and plunger to fall by their own gravity, or by the action of a spring, not shown, impartin a one-eighth revolution to the ratchet-w ee'l, through the instrumeutulity of the lever, and removing the spokes from contact with the segments 4 and 5. as shown by the dot line positionw, Fig. 1, thus throwing the parts into position for he reception of the current through the wire a, but not elsewhere, but no current flowing. By reversing the direction of movement of the hand-lever, throwing the current into the circuit and energizing the. coil, the magnetic action of the latter will act on the core.8 to draw it upwardly and;

place the bell-crank lever and pawl into rection reverseto that last described thus deiiergizing the coil and permitting the more to fall, thus'again impartin a oneeighth revolution to the wheels at"! lacing the parts in the position shown y the dotted lines 1 Fig. 1, ready for actuation 35 of the switch lever, and all the lights on? inasmuch as the current is entirely out o from both circuits. On againreversinf the direction of movement 0 the switchever,' thus turningon the current, the coil bei again energizedwill attract the core 8 an the latter will. in risin not disturb the position of the wheel, t e contact spokes of which being in contact with the segments 4 and -5 will permit the current to'flow therethrough. In other words, the current seeking the path of leastresistance, will not follow the wire 2 because of the resistance offered by the cluster of lamps a thereon, but will be shunted by the commutator through the wire 3 or main circuit, thus cutting out the aforesaid cluster of the auxiliary circuit but permitting the light 0 to remain in the circuit and to burn.

The first and second movements herein described of the actuating switch at the power station, (or other suitable place) as well as the third and fourth, are performed at one practically instantaneous movement of the lever thereof, the time elapsing between said movements being so minute that the dark period is imperceptible.

No attention has been herein paid tothe lamps d, they having been illustrated merely to show that lamps placed elsewhere on the circuit ,than where shown would not interfere with the practical and successful operation of m mvention. It may be stated however, t at each of the light-s mbols d indicates a cluster of lamps, whic may be placed selectivel in the circuit and my improvements. app ied thereto.

The operation of the means shown at F1 2 will be the same as that above describe Mechanical and structural chan es which are well known to those skilled in the art ill be all that is required to make the sub- ;litution, one fort-he other.

The-National Board'of Underwriters, in its installation rules prohibits the use of multiple-series or series-multiple systems of lighting. This is because of the danger caused by sparking and flashing. It will be evident from the foregoing description that '5 in my apparatus the pathway of the elec-. trical current is changed while there is no current on, or while the wires are dead, and

. that there; is, therefore, no sparking and flashing such as is present 'inall prior devices of this character, and further evident that its use will cause either abrogation or ing, or when-all areout.

'claim as my invention;

. 1. Inmeans of the character described, a plurality of circuits, a source of electric sup ply, a switch, a magnetic coiladapted to be alternatelyenergized and deenergized by '5 alternate actuations of said switch, a solerectionby attraction of said coil whenthe DOidOOI'GI adapted for actuation in one dilatter is energized and inthe contrary directionj by gravity, and: a revoluble commutator actuable by the said core in its fallingfmovement-ybut not actuable when the core is ,being' attracted or is attracted,

whereby the path of the current is chan ed.

from one to the other of said circuits w e no current is flowing.

2. In combination with a plurality of cirsecured -thereto, a linkactuated by said lunger, a pivoted lever actuablebysaid ink, a spring-actuatedpawl pivoted to said lever and adapted to receive movements therefrom, an insulated ratchet-wheel actucuits, a solenoid, a solenoid core, a plunger able in one direction by said pawl, .a metallic contact-wheel fixed to said ratchetlever are pivotally mounted.

Iii testimony that I claim the foregoing a. as myinvention 1 hereto afiix my signature in presence of two subscribing w1tnesses.'

ALFRED -W. KNUTSON.

Witnesses: l

' O. S. Rrcrmmis,

H. M. RICHARDS.

- Goplei otthh patentmay be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 7 f a Washington,D.0.

wheel, and a base on which said wheels and 

